Cha Cha Matcha

I talk a lot about restaurants, but it’s about time I mention where to get a snack or drink on the go. Or even a matcha.

Did someone say Cha Cha Matcha?

This place has gotten quite the attention since opening in April 2016. When I finally decided to visit, I understood why. This place is just as much about drinking/intaking matcha as it is about telling people that you just drank/partook of matcha. This place draws an attractive, Soho-dressed crowd in Nolita that hangs out for hours on end at the benches out front. Inside, ice in the matcha lattes melts to loud hip hop as people snap hundreds of photos to put on Instagram and show their friends.

Frankly, I don’t really relish this kind of atmosphere–I prefer people sitting and enjoying their surroundings, rather than trying to capture it for social media. There are also a lot of customers here that stick up their noses. However, I will say the service has always been great and the atmosphere is fun (they definitely stick to a color scheme!)

But there’s one thing that keeps me coming back: the Matcha soft-serve.

What is matcha, you might ask? Well, Cha Cha tells us it is “finely milled Japanese green tea leaves.” What can you do with it? Well, a lot, it seems, including turning it into soft-serve ice cream.

Matcha and Coconut Soft-Serve Swirl ($4)

You heard it. Coconut soft-serve, swirled with matcha soft-serve. There is a lot of the word “soft-serve” being said here. But that’s because this matcha flavor is unlike anything I have every experienced before. A thick flavor, for certain. There’s something about the coconut combo–it’s addictive. Refreshing in the summer, but still what you want to be eating in the winter.

I’m having trouble putting this mouthwatering experience into words, so let me show you.